Will Vegas run it back in 2019?

After taking the NHL by storm last season, the Vegas Golden Knights are primed to be a Stanley Cup favorite in 2018-19.

In their inaugural season, the Golden Knights finished with a record of 51-24-7, winning the Pacific Division and clinching one of the top seeds in the Western Conference playoff bracket.

Led by head coach Gerard Gallant and veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, the Knights swept the Los Angeles Kings, who've won two Stanley Cups in the last seven seasons, in the first round. They proceeded to take down the San Jose Sharks, 4-2 in the second round.

The Sharks series turned out to be the first real playoff challenge in Vegas's young history. After claiming Game 1 with a dominant 7-0 shutout from Fleury, San Jose struck back in Game 2 with a thrilling double-overtime victory in Las Vegas. The Knights then took Game 3, another nail-biter, by a score of 4-3 in OT. The Sharks won Game 4 at home, but Vegas regrouped and claimed the next two contests, winning the series in six.

The Knights advanced to the Conference Finals, facing off against the Winnipeg Jets for a chance to go play for the cup. The Knights and Jets split the first two games of the series, but Vegas ripped off three straight wins and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season of play.

In the Finals, however, the Knights finally met their match. Against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, the speed that Vegas played with all season seemed to run out. Ovechkin and the Caps were hungry for a championship after numerous disappointing finishes in the playoffs, often at the hands of Fleury's former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Vegas took Game 1 at home, 6-4. After the Capitals stole Game 2 by a score of 3-2, the momentum shifted. Washington won both home games and then claimed Game 5 in Las Vegas, winning Ovechkin the elusive Stanley Cup that he'd chased for over 10 years.

Looking ahead to next season, there's no reason to believe that the Golden Knights can't run it back again. This week, Fleury and the Knights agreed to a 3-year/$21 million extension, locking up their franchise goalie for the foreseeable future. The fact that Vegas was able to snag Fleury in the 2018 Expansion Draft is just baffling. With Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, Fleury won three Stanley Cups, including two consecutive in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Fleury literally won Pittsburgh the cup in 2009, when he made a diving save with two seconds left to secure the win in Game 7. To see the clutch save, click right here.

James Neal, the veteran winger who was acquired in the expansion draft with Fleury, left this offseason and signed with the Calgary Flames. Still, Vegas's core will be a force to reckoned with. Centers Jonathan Marchessault and Cody Eakin, along with defencemen Deryk Engelland and Brayden McNabb, look ready to lead the charge in the upcoming season. Assuming they're able to re-sign center William Karlsson (restricted free agent), Vegas could be the team to beat in the Western Conference.

The West is bound to be improved, though. After a lost year, the Chicago Blackhawks will be looking to rebound after missing the playoffs last season. The Hawks have won three cups in eight seasons, and with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, you're always in the conversation. Winnipeg, San Jose, the Edmonton Oilers and the Nashville Predators will also be looking to make a run.

On a side note, any doubters who thought that a pro sports team couldn't work in Las Vegas were proven wrong. The NHL, which is most likely the least popular of the four major American leagues, voted to expand to Vegas and were rewarded monumentally. As a result, the WNBA moved a team to Sin City, and the Oakland Raiders will be relocating there at some point in the next couple years.

The fans of the Golden Knights are among the best in the NHL. You could feel the energy of the crowd by just watching it on TV. Vegas knows how to entertain people, but the intros before Game 1 of the Cup Finals this year took it to another level. But don't take my word for it; check out the epic scene by clicking here. In the playoffs especially, the crowd will play a part in Vegas's success.

So, yes, I think it's safe to say that we'll be seeing the Knights making noise in playoffs again. A lot of noise.

Image credits: Sports Illustrated, Pixels Logo Design

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